"On the evening of that day, the first day of the week," Jesus showed himself to his apostles.  "He breathed on them, and said to them: 'Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained'" (Jn 20:19, 22-23).

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is the opportunity "To return to communion with God after having lost it through sin...a process born of the grace of God who is rich in mercy and solicitous for the salvation of men.  One must ask for this precious gift for oneself and for others."    (CCC 1489).  "The spiritual effects of the sacrament of Reconciliation are:

• reconciliation with God by which the penitent recovers grace
• reconciliation with the Church
• remission of the eternal punishment incurred by mortal sins
• remission, at least in part, of temporal punishments resulting from sin
• peace and serenity of conscience, and spiritual consolation

First Reconciliation

Restored Order of the Sacraments

In 2015, Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila issued the pastoral letter, Saints Among Us, to explain what it means to restore the Sacraments of Initiation to their original, historical order: Baptism, Confirmation, and then Eucharist.  Click here to read the Archbishop's full letter.  As we implement the Restored Order of the Sacraments in our parish, there will be some changes to our sacramental preparation program.  Children who are currently in 2nd grade and above who have had at least one year of faith formation in a religious education program or Catholic school will be prepared for the sacrament of Reconciliation ONLY.  They will then be prepared for Confirmation and Holy Eucharist in 3rd grade and above.  Reconciliation is to take place before First Eucharist and Confirmation.

This year we are making some changes to our Sacramental Preparation Program.  Families with children attending Shrine of St. Anne School will work directly with the school for Sacramental Preparation.  Please watch for information regarding parent meetings, registrations, and sessions sent from the school.  Families with children attending PUBLIC School or HOME School will be participating in the PARISH Sacramental Preparation Programs.  

Parents are the primary catechists of their children.  As such, it is important that parents are directly involved in the preparation process with their child.  Parents and children are required to attend all sacramental preparation sessions together.  Each session includes activities and talks as well as materials for parents to use at home with their child. 

Parents of children in public school or home school are asked to attend a "PARENTS ONLY" Orientation Meeting on Sunday,  Sept. 14th at 5:30pm in the Parish Center.  Sessions for First Reconciliation will be held on Tuesday evenings from 6:00pm to 7:30pm in the Parish Center, starting October 14, 2025.  A parent must attend with the child.  Please see the First Reconciliation Calendar below for days and times of the sessions and our Family Celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Christian Initiation for Children
Christian Initiation for Adults